Patna: Health department cracks whip on drug shops, firms

Patna: The drug control administration (DCA) on Tuesday cracked its whip on drug retailers or manufacturers and either cancelled or suspended their licences.

The action against so many of them, not very commonplace on any single day, comes close on the wheels of The Times of India reporting last week that a cancer drug syndicate was operating in the state capital. The news-report was based on the contents of a drug inspector (DI)'s report which pointed an accusing finger at an IGIMS doctor and druggists running shops in the vicinity of the prestigious government hospital.

According to state drug controller Ramesh Kumar, the licence of the Medigo Pharma, running from Sheikhpura Bagicha near the IGIMS, has been suspended. The department has also decided to lodge a prosecution case against it.

A retailer, Medigo Pharma would procure drugs from Ayon Healthcare, a marketing agency the office of which, according to the DI's report, is housed in the residence of the IGIMS oncologist.

"When we were conducting raids in December last, we stumbled upon the fact that this shop had started selling drugs much before it was licensed to do so. It also did not maintain proper bills," the drug controller told TOI on Tuesday.

The department sources said the licence of Naveen Pharma on Govind Mitra Road was also cancelled as it could not produce proper bills. Similar action was taken against National Pharma of Govind Mitra Road because the raiding drug officials found expired drugs, improper bills and some doubtful rough estimates at the shop.

While these three are retailers, licences of some drug manufacturing firms were suspended. Indian Pharmaceuticals' licence has been suspended for 60 days. "This firm has stopped production for quite some time, but when our team inspected the plant, we found it was operating in violation of the Good Manufacturing Practices guidelines," the drug controller said.

The licence of Rishi Pharma on Govind Mitra Road was also suspended for 60 days for allegedly selling Thyroxine drug without a proper batch number. The licence of New Jyoti Medicine near IGIMS has also been suspended for 60 days for alleged irregularities. The licences of Anand Pharma and New Sahil Pharma of Bihari Sao Lane have been suspended for 90 and 75 days respectively for allegedly not maintaining proper bills.

The sources said at least eight more drug shops of Govind Mitra Road are under scanner. "Action is likely to be taken against them soon," a source said.

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